In and Out: Getting (Sort of) Political with the Fiery Furnaces

In case you missed out on voting during "Super Tuesday", have no fear - there's another (albeit less conventional) way to get involved in the political process thanks to those Friedburger siblings. As a news item on their official website would have us believe, The Fiery Furnaces have caught "democracy fever", initiating an "On-Line Non-Binding Caucus" to determine the title and genre of the Furnaces’ next studio album.

The choices, helpfully split into Red and Blue candidates, can be found here. My vote is definitely going to Three-dom is Two-darn One-derful (Four-dom and Eight-red Zero-in on your Five-lihood), which is described as a funk record, "featuring the debut of the Eleanorettes (backing singers). Very dead and dark sounding."

Which candidate will you vote for? If none of the options appeal to you, I suppose you could always nominatee a write-in. An experimental tango album perhaps.

Still undecided? Don't worry. The Fiery Furnaces will be conducting a few more "rallies" in hopes of gaining more supporters of their "Democ-Rock":

2/6 Nashville, TN / Exit/In / 18+ / $14
2/7 Birmingham, AL / Bottletree / 18+
2/8 Asheville, NC / Grey Eagle Tavern / $13
2/9 Knoxville, TN / Pilot Light / 18+

And the democracy doesn't stop there. The band wants YOU to be a part of their song writing process as well by contributing song lyrics. What kind of lyrics you ask? Oh, just "expired video rental cards, never-to-be-paid parking tickets, rude requests from your step-children, fawning memos from employees you intend to lay-off, drug-store coupons clipped but not redeemed because you missed the bus and the sale ended that night (or so the manager said), ATM receipts left by the previous withdrawer, the proverbial laundry list, examples of your left-handed handwriting, cigarette packet promotional paraphernalia: all are welcome."

The Furnaces go on to note that "the 'respecting and reflecting' song-writing process will turn these precious documents into the beginning of a true DEMOC-ROCK musical culture." I'd start digging through those pockets now.

[Photo Courtesy of Thrill Jockey Records]